Eye-lines
An audition is about YOU! It is about how you as an actor portray your character in relation to the others in the scene, who are always “off screen” in an audition. Christa always starts our Audition Workshops by saying “An audition is it’s own thing!” This means that just as performing on set is bound by certain conventions, an audition has its own conventions. An audition is an artificial experience – but then again, piecing a film together shot by shot is a very artificial and technical way to tell a story.
Drama, whether on stage or on film is not Reality, but a selective representation of reality. Being able to immerse yourself in the imagined world of a character is an ability devoutly to be wished for – with the proviso that it has to work to your advantage in an Audition.
One of the adjustments you need to make to “reality” is to set eye-lines to other characters which do not deprive you of “face time”.
On set, your henchmen will indeed be behind you – in an audition they should be in a group just ahead and to one side of you. Your best conspiratorial smirk will not be seen by the Director if you turn your head 90 degrees to the camera!
In scenes where you inter-act with several other characters, condense the eye-lines to within a 45 degree arc either side of the camera, preferably less, and absolutely no more. If it works within the scene, consider putting the “Baddies” on one side of the camera and the “Goodies” on the other, which can help with your attitude changes to the other characters. I would also suggest, with some caution, that you do not fret about trying to differentiate every other character in a complex multi-character scene. Your analysis of the relationships within the scene will determine which characters you consolidate into a similar eye-line.
It seems obvious to suggest that you should select the Reader as the eye-line for the character with whom you have most inter-action. Unless the Reader is absolutely gosh-awful, make as much eye-contact as possible, even if the Reader looks down at the sides a lot. (Remember that they may have a dozen characters to deal with throughout a studio session.) Look at, not “through” the Reader – the difference is visible in close-up! For the same reason, when setting other eye-lines, take a moment to select specific objects in the audition studio to “connect” with, rather than just a vague direction.
When we look at each other in ordinary conversation, we tend to scan the other person’s face, shifting our gaze from one eye to the other or observing other parts of the face which communicate clues. Sometimes we even look away. On screen, in close-up and combined with “audition nerves”, that could make you look shifty, dishonest or insecure, particularly if your changes of focus are random and not motivated by the script. Even if your character is dishonest, shifty, or insecure, you need to make clear choices about when and why you can meet your adversary’s eye or when and why you cannot. While watching auditions with directors it is quite obvious that they are simply irritated by unmotivated fidgeting and bobbing about, which distracts them from the performance you are trying to deliver.
If you need to be powerful and assertive, the trick is to look steadily only at the eye closest to the camera. Blinking too much can also weaken your character, so you need to keep that under control. Several leading actors over the years have perfected the technique of not blinking at all through even very long scenes.
Sweat the Little Things. . .
While most actors fret about “learning the lines and getting the accent right”, too few give sufficient thought to the little details which either round out a character, or simply help to give the impression that you are a Professional Actor accustomed to auditioning. Being an Actor requires you to integrate a variety of different skills into a seamless portrayal of a character – that is a skill in itself and requires practising to the point where it doesn’t require thinking about during your audition, otherwise it will get in the way of your overall performance. Sweat the Little Things!